Knitting aid



Jan. 15, 1952 T. F. ELLIS, JR

KNITTING AID Filed April 20, 194E:

V Zhwenlor Thomas J. ZZ'YZJJ, .fn

attorneys Patented Jan. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING AID Thomas F. Ellis, Jr., Wostport, Conn.

Application April 20, 1949, Serial No. 88,603

(CL es- -1) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to manual knitting aids and particularly to devices for indicating the number of rows knitted.

Throughout certain types of manual knitting, particularly with involved patterns, it is necessary to count rows in order to properly execute the pattern; Furthermore in the case of ordinary knitting there are frequent points at which an accurate count of the rows is essential, for example while knitting a test sample to determine the factors which will govern the size of a completed garment, and also during the making of an article which must be shaped by narrowing and widening at particular points. While counting of knitted rows can be accomplished directly on the rows themselves, this is an awkward and confusing operation, for the merging of one row into another and the difficulty of visually separating them makes it a tedious task to effect a count which can be relied upon as accurate. Knitting aids in the form of manually actuated registers have been provided for counting rows or any other recurring aspect of knitting, but these rely purely upon the memory and accuracy of the knitter and hence are not particularly reliable or useful when an absolutely accurate count is desired.

This invention has for its object the provision of a simple and novel row counter which is designed to keep an accurate count of the number of rows knitted, and a method for using the counter to cooperate with the knitting itself in such a direct manner that the counting operating cannot be overlooked.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a plurality of eyelets connected together in a fixed serial order and serially numbered. These eyelets are of a size to be received upon a knitting needle, and the number on each eyelet thus serves to identify the row which is at that moment on the needle.

Additional features and advantages will here inafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan of a preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the de vice of Fig. 1 in use during knitting.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan illustrating a modification of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of still another modi fication of the invention.

The preferred form of the row counter of this invention is shown in Fig. 1 and consists mainly of a relatively-thin-sheet of fabric ll. Any desired fabric may be used, but the device is more convenient for knitting if the fabric is one which is light in weight and reasonably flexible as will hereinafter appear. Around the periphery of the sheet [0 are openings 12 which are of a size to readily receive a knitting needle and which are spaced a convenient distance apart. While no particular size or spacing will serve equally well for all sizes of knitting needles it has been found that openings of approximately inch in diameter and spaced about inch apart, or slightly less, serve very well for most average work. correspondingly larger measurements may be used where extremely large knitting needles are being employed. Preferably the edge H of the sheet I0 is scalloped or provided with notches l5 so as to partially outline the individual eyelet members of which the sheet may be considered as composed, and to permit of greater flexibility in the positioning of the device with respect to the work. Each opening or eyelet I2 is accompanied by an identifying mark [6 which may be any type of symbol indicating the serial position of the opening with reference to any starting point er datum. As shown in the drawing, numbers start-- ing with I and runnirg in order to 40 are printed or otherwise marked on the surface of sheet it to identify the eyelets or openings.

In using the device of Fig. 1, a row of knitting where counting is to start is begun on one needle. At some time during the knitting of this row, the needle upon which it is forming is passed through that eyelet I2 which has the designating indicla one, said eyelet thus being placed between two of the stitches. This forms a temporary barrier to the knitting of the subsequent row. When the next row is being formed by taking the stitches from the first needle and knitting them onto the second needle, the barrier formed by the eyelet numbered one will be encountered, at which time the knitter is reminded to perform the counting operation. This he does by slipping the second needle through the adjacent eyelet numbered two, and slipping the eyelet numbered one from the tip of the first needle. The counting proceeds in this fashion, and each time an eyelet is encountered during knitting, it is slipped'from the tip of its needle, and the adjacent next higher numbered eyelet is slipped over the other needle. Thus, at all times during the knitting, the number of the row on the needle which bears the counting device can be determined instantly by inspection of the number adjacent the eyelet through which such needle passes. shownknitting needles and 22 by means of In Fig. 2, for example, are.

which the knitted fabric 24 is being formed. Since the needle 20 is passing through the eyelet numbered IS, the stitches adjacent said eyelet constitute the fifteenth row from the datum point at which counting was begun. If we assume that needle 22 is now engaged in knitting the stitches from needle 20, the stitches on needle 22 constitute the sixteenth row as will become apparent when the knitting has progressed to a point adjacent the counting device, and the needle 22 has been placed through the proper opening or eyelet l2.

While the foregoing description relates to knitting of the type in which two needles are used, as being that most frequently employed, it will be appreciated that the counting device of the invention is equally applicable for thepurposes or circular knitting where a plurality of needles, for example four, are used, or where a single flexible double ended needle is employed. In the case of circular knitting by either method it is usually preferable, although not necessary, to thread the counter onto one of the knitting points at the beginning of a row so that the device of the invention will serve not only as a counter, but will also indicate the division point between the rows.

The indicia 16 may proceed in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, but if they appear on both surfaces of the sheet in the same number should be employed for each aperture 12 regardless of the side from which it is viewed. In using the counter it is preferable to dispose the same so that the next higher number is always above the one designating the opening through which the needle passes so as to be convenient for penetration by another knitting point during knitting of the next row.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated a modification of the invention in which the sheet Illa is generally circular instead of having the elongate form of Figs. 1 and 2. This modification also serves to illustrate that the degree of connection between the eyelet members may be varied at will, to compensate to some extent for the flexibility of sheet material used, for example? In Fig. 3 the curved edges Ma cooperate with notches I5a to provide eyelet members of more salient character than those shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 is particularly adapted for use when a short series of numbers, for ex ample twenty, is all that is required. Due to its smaller size the same is more convenient under circumstances where several row counting operations are to be carried on simultaneously.

The forms of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 may be made from any sheet material desired, for example cardboard, or paper of reasonable strength and toughness. However, a sheet which is at once tough and very flexible is more easily handled and is at present preferred. A sheet material which is relatively homogeneous in character and which can be formed by a single stamping operation, for example leather, regenerated cellulose, or synthetic resinous material, is likewise to be preferred. However, a textile fabric may be employed if the same is made with ravelproof engagement between the strands, or if the strand ends are sealed at the time of stamping as would be the case when a heated cutting die is used with a textile having thermoplastic fibers in its makeup.

In cases where permanence is the primary con-'- sideration and cost is secondary, the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 may. be employed; This device consists of a support element 30, here shown as a ring, which is preferably of metal, for example aluminum or an aluminum alloy. A series of eyelet elements 32 are provided, each having openings 34 and 36. The eyelet elements may be stamped from any relatively stifi, strong, material which is preferably light in weight, and each element is marked with a character 38, pref erably a numeral. The openings 34 are of a size to readily receive the knitting needles used, as described above for openings l2, while openings 36 are large enough for a free sliding fit on the support element 30. The eyelet elements 32 are movably supported in numerical order on the support 30 by means of their openings 36 to form the completed counter. This form of the invention is used in the same manner as those shown in Figs. 1 to 3 except that the eyelet member next to be engaged must be raised into position for penetration by the needle instead of being held substantially in such position in the manner of the device shown in Fig. 2.

Thus it will be seen that the invention provides a row counter for manual knitting which is at once extremely simple in construction and easy to operate, and a method for using the same vwhich insures an accurate count of the rows.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A row counter for manual knitting comprising means having a series of openings in which a knitting needle is receivable and for a supporting and arranging said openings to remain permanently in a predetermined order, said means bearing order-indicating indicia adjacent each opening to identify the same.

2. A row counter for manual knitting comprising a flexible sheet having serially arranged openings therein in which a knitting needle is receivable; and numerically arranged numerical marks on said sheet, each mark being adjacent and indicating one of said openings.

3. A row counter for manual knitting comprising a fiexible sheet having openings therein in which a knitting needle is receivable, said openings being serially arranged about the periphery of said sheet; and numerically arranged numerical marks on said sheet, each mark being adjacent and indicating one of said openings.

4. A row counter for manual knitting comprising a flexible sheet having openings therein in which a knitting needle is receivable, said 1 openings being serially arranged about the periphery of said sheet; and numerically arranged numerical marks on said sheet, each mark being adjacent and indicating one of said openings, said sheet having peripheral notches at locations between said openings.

5. A row counter for manual knitting comprising a support element; and a plurality of numbered eyelet elements movably mounted on said support element, and positioned in numerical order thereon, each of said eyelet elements having an opening in which a knitting needle is receivable.

6. A row counter ior manual knitting comprising a support element; and a plurality of numbered eyelet elements movably mounted on said support element, and positioned in numerical order thereon, each of said eyelet elements having a pair of openings, one in which aknitting needle is, receivable, and the other loosely engaged with a. portion of said support element to provide said movable mounting.

'7. The method of indicating the row number of stitches on a needle during hand knitting which comprises the steps of passing a knitting point of a needle to be used in knitting through one of the eyelets of a, counting device having a connected series of numbered eyelet-providing means arranged in numerical order; knitting until such time as the device is found interposed between the next two successive stitches to be withdrawn from one knitting point by another cooperating knitting point in the normal course of knitting; knitting off the first of said stitches; passing said other knitting point through that eyelet adjacent to said one eyelet which is associated with the nextthigher number; withdrawing said one knitting point from said one eyelet; knitting off the other of said stitches; and repeatedly performing the five last-mentioned steps in order, each time progressing to the next higher numbered eyelet.

THOMAS F. ELLIS, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,118,210 Luther May 24, 1938 2,274,181 Ariani Feb. 24, 1942 

